Two arrested for fatal school shooting

The crime scene outside Edenvale High School following a failed robbery which left two men dead on Thursday February 21 2019. Police said that two people had been arrested. Image: Alaister Russell

Police have confirmed that two people have been arrested after two people were killed in a shooting at the Edenvale High School in Johannesburg on Thursday.

Police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubela told TimesLIVE on the scene that two people had been arrested.

Makhubela also said that an unknown number of men had fled the scene in two cars. Police are still searching for them.

An AK47 was visible, close to the school gate. Makhubela said that a total of three unlicensed firearms had been recovered by police.

The arrests come after an apparent midday robbery attempt at the school. Two suspects were shot dead and a third was injured, according to paramedics on the scene.

Shots were fired at Edenvale High School in Johannesburg on February 21, 2019, during a suspected robbery. Two suspects were shot dead and a third was injured in the shootout that occurred around midday.

Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi was at the school from around 2pm. Pupils were also still on the premises.

Ekurhuleni emergency medical services spokesperson William Ntladi, who was at the school, said earlier that they had received information of multiple gunshots at around 12pm on Thursday afternoon.

"As per information received it was an armed robbery that the guys were going to do here at the school.

"Fortunately the children were inside their classes and no one was outside. It was just an emotional traumatic experience for them,” Ntladi said.

Ntladi said on arrival they found two men that were shot dead by police.

A third was in a stable condition after he was shot in the head. He was being treated on the scene by paramedics.

Police barricaded the road with yellow police tape, and forensics experts have also arrived at the scene.

Principal Larry Harmer said the school was equipped with a lockdown system and a camera at the front gate.

He said a man had stopped at the gate claiming to be collecting his child. "We opened the gate and as soon as he got in, robbers in a second car tailgated him. We saw them coming on the camera but by the time we were on lockdown they were in the front office."

He said the group of armed men jumped through the windows and traumatised the front desk staff, demanding to be taken to the safe.

"They found no money in the safe, there is a smaller safe where we keep all of our cash. They then went into the offices and tried to smash down my walls and I think they assumed that they were here for too long."

Harmer said they alerted the Edenvale community policing forum through a voice note on whatsapp that they were under attack. Learners were busy with exams at the time.

He said within minutes the policing forum had responded with police. The school is close to the Edenvale police station.

Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said they were saddened by the incident, adding that schools remained a place where criminals felt that "they could do as they wish".

"It is becoming clearer and clearer by the day that we are becoming sitting ducks for criminals. Our schools are targets and we are exposing our children to incidents that we don't have to," Lesufi said.

Lesufi said the robbers managed to "lay their hands" on R8,000. The money was saved for a school trip.

He said that support would be send to the school on Friday. However, the school would remain closed until Monday.

"What kind of society are we that we even rob schools? What kind of society are we turning into that we even risk the lives of our own children?

"If those answers are not forthcoming, we need to know that we need to do something and we need to do something urgently," he said.

#edenvale#edenvalehighschool When you rob a school during class that is situated next to a police station you either are so stupid, so high or have so little regard for our police force. Apparently they robbed the school on the other side of the police station too recently. pic.twitter.com/C4iWtDXLSk